NILGIRIS: Condemning tea factories for paying Rs 3 less per kg than the committee-fixed price of Rs 24.59 for green tea leaves, small plantation owners in Kundha launched a strike on Monday. The planters also did not send leaves that have already been plucked to eight tea factories.

“In October, MSME Minister TM Anbarasan assured that green tea leaves would be procured as per the committee fixed price but till date it has not been implemented,” said Manjai V Mohan, founder of Badagesa Party which is supporting the protest.

The committee consisting of the district collector and tea board executive director fixed Rs 24.59 for green tea leaves from small scale farmers.

However, eight state owned factories are paying them Rs 3 less. Sources in the INDCOSERVE which is managing the eight factories said they are facing a financial crisis and are unable to provide the price. “We are aware of the protest. The difference in the amount could be between Rs 1.5- Rs 1.7 crore and the government is aware of it. It’s upto the state government to pay the price,” said an official from Nilgiris.

NEW YORK – Magnesium supplements are said to help with a long list of ailments: sleep problems, migraine headaches, depression, high blood pressure, muscle cramps and constipation. One wellness coach on TikTok went so far as to say that “to be a functioning member of society”, everyone should be taking them.

The premise that this essential mineral can treat such a wide range of issues rests on the idea that many people are deficient in it. But is that true? And will replenishing your body’s magnesium solve your health problems?

Experts give their take on whether the claims hold up to scientific scrutiny.

How common is magnesium deficiency?

Most people in the United States do not have a serious magnesium deficiency, said Dr Edward Saltzman, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. If they did, he added, they would have noticeable symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, numbness, tingling, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.

But national diet surveys do suggest that at least half of people in the US are not meeting federal recommendations – at least 310 or 320mg of magnesium a day for women who are not pregnant, depending on their age; and at least 400 or 420mg for men, also depending on age.

Not consuming enough magnesium could have subtler, slower-burning consequences, Dr Saltzman said.

Researchers have found correlations, for instance, between consuming less magnesium and health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, migraine headaches and poor sleep – though they have not proven causation.

Unfortunately, there is no simple way to tell if you are meeting federal guidelines. A blood test, for instance, will not give you a very accurate assessment, said Dr Katherine Tucker, a professor emerita of biomedical and nutritional sciences at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

“To me, it’s one of the more important nutrients that we’re missing,” she said.

Can magnesium supplements help with certain conditions?

The relevant clinical trials that have looked into this have been small, with inconsistent results, Dr Saltzman said, so whether they can help with such a long list of ailments is “the million-dollar question”.

There is a need for bigger, better studies before recommending magnesium supplements to most people, he added.

However, some limited evidence does provide hints that magnesium supplements may help with some issues, especially if you do not get enough magnesium from your diet, Dr Tucker said.

Here are some areas that offer the best, if imperfect, evidence for their use.

Migraines

According to the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society, magnesium supplements are “probably effective” at preventing migraine headaches in people who get them regularly.

This is backed by a handful of small clinical trials, which have suggested that patients who took 600mg of magnesium a day had fewer migraines than those who took a placebo.

Sleep

In a 2021 review of studies, researchers summarised the findings of three clinical trials that included 151 people aged 50 or older. They found that on average, those who took between 320 and 729mg of magnesium a day fell asleep about 17 minutes faster than those who took a placebo.

It was not clear, however, whether the supplement improved the participants’ sleep quality or helped them sleep longer.

Mental health

In a 2023 review of seven small clinical trials, researchers concluded that taking magnesium supplements can help reduce symptoms of depression – though not all the trials they reviewed found such benefits.

A 2017 trial of 126 adults with mild to moderate symptoms of depression found that those who took 248mg of magnesium a day for six weeks began feeling less anxious and depressed within two weeks. However, the researchers reported that this benefit could have partly been explained by a placebo effect.

A 2024 review also found that magnesium supplements may help with anxiety, though those results were also mixed.

Blood pressure and blood sugar

Studies done over short periods of time have suggested that, in people with high blood pressure, magnesium supplements may lower blood pressure by a small amount. And in people with Type 2 diabetes, it may help reduce blood sugar and measures of insulin resistance, Dr Tucker said.

Those findings jibe with longer studies that have found correlations between lower magnesium consumption and greater risks of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, she added, though there is not enough evidence to say a magnesium supplement could prevent those diseases.

Constipation

In 2023, experts from two national gastroenterology associations said people with chronic constipation – meaning those with certain symptoms that last for three or more months – might benefit from taking magnesium supplements. This was based on two small, short-term trials that found that people with chronic constipation who took magnesium oxide – a type of magnesium supplement – had more bowel movements a week than those who took a placebo.

The bottom line

Scientists do not know how magnesium supplements may offer these benefits, or if they may help in other ways, such as in preventing muscle cramps or improving bone health. But the mineral plays a role in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body, including brain cell function, muscle contraction, blood glucose control, blood pressure regulation and energy production.

The best way to make sure you are getting enough magnesium is to consume more magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, leafy greens, beans and whole grains, Dr Tucker said.

If you do not regularly eat these kinds of foods, a supplement may be worth trying, she added. NYTIMES

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Problems, however, may arise because of overuse or misuse.

Paracelsus, often known as the father of toxicology, famously said, “Solely the dose determines that a thing is not a poison.” In other words, the toxicity of a substance depends on the dose. Apart from the amount ingested, other factors such as its absorption by the intestine and the body’s metabolism, excretion and detoxification processes, which vary from person to person, also determine whether a thing eaten or drunk becomes poisonous for the individual.

Even drinking plain water in excess can lead to water intoxication and water poisoning in some people.

The same is true for other generally safe drinks and foods.

Green tea extract, a popular weight loss supplement, can be harmful to the liver in obese people with pre-existing chronic liver diseases. In such cases, obesity and liver damage lead to the accumulation of xenobiotics, meaning foreign substances, in the body. This leads to an increase in their concentration in the system and causes poisoning.

Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng is a widely used medicinal plant in India which is gaining popularity worldwide. Its extracts are known for their ability to reduce inflammation and treat ailments as diverse as arthritis, diabetes, hypertension and infertility.

One of the key compounds in ashwagandha is withanone. This has been shown to react with DNA, potentially leading to severe biological consequences such as DNA damage. When used in moderation, this effect is mitigated by a protective agent found in cells known as glutathione or GSH, a natural antioxidant.

It’s crucial to adhere to the recommended dosage of ashwagandha extract set by the Indian Ministry of Ayush—the government body responsible for developing and promoting traditional medicine systems in India—as exceeding this limit may overload the GSH system and cause liver damage.

Read more: Turning her pain into power: Cheryl Wee is on a mission to build a holistic wellness ecosystem

Taking vitamin D, with or without calcium, does not lower the risk of older adults falling or having fractures, according to a new draft recommendation issued last week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

More than one in four older adults falls in the U.S. each year, which can lead to broken bones and other injuries. Vitamin D and calcium are sometimes taken together because the body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, which is essential for bone health.

“Often patients have read or heard from someone that they should be taking them for a variety of reasons, and so they do,” Barbara Bawer, MD, a family medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Health.

The recommendation by the nationwide panel of experts doesn’t apply to people with osteoporosis, vitamin D deficiency, or those taking vitamin D for other medical reasons. 

While the report concluded that vitamin D doesn’t lower the risk of fractures or falls in older adults, it doesn’t say that people should forgo vitamin D or calcium or that they have no benefits.

Here’s what the panel found—plus what doctors who treat aging patients actually suggest for preventing falls and fractures.

The USPSTF’s panel conducted a systematic review of research on the role of calcium, vitamin D, and falls in older adults. The panel concluded with “moderate certainty” that supplementing with vitamin D showed no benefit for preventing falls and fractures in older adults.

Panelists also found that supplementing with vitamin D, with or without calcium, can increase the risk of kidney stones. As a result, the panel doesn’t recommend that men and women aged 60 and up supplement with vitamin D, with or without calcium, to prevent fractures and falls.

The panel’s findings build on a 2018 recommendation against postmenopausal women taking 400 units or less of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams or less of calcium to prevent fractures. (At the time, the panel said there wasn’t enough evidence to make recommendations for men.)

There are a few reasons why the risk of falls and fractures increases as you age. “Your bone stock really peaks in your 20s and 30s,” Alex Jahangir, MD, vice chair and a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt Health, told Health. “Your bone quality is also lower as you get older. As a result, if you fall, you’re more inclined to get a fracture.”

Mobility can also be more difficult as you get older due to conditions like osteoarthritis or other forms of arthritis, Bawer said. “This alters the way we walk, including shuffling of the feet, leaning in various ways to help offset pain,” she said.

Neurological conditions like neuropathy, which can change the sensation in the toes or feet, can also impact balance and mobility, raising the risk of falls, Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist who treats older adults at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told Health.

“Eyesight is usually worse as well as we age, and so we can misstep or not see something in our way which can lead to falls,” Bawer said.

Some medications can also lead to dizziness and loss of balance, and older adults tend to be on more medications to manage health conditions than younger adults, John Fudyma, MD, interim chief of geriatrics and palliative care in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, told Health.

Per Fudyma, a vitamin D deficiency can also make you more prone to falls.

Doctors stress that the findings don’t suggest that there’s no value to taking vitamin D and calcium—only that the combination is unlikely to prevent older adults from having fractures and falls.

“Vitamin D and calcium are important for other functions in the body,” Fudyma said. “But in the general, average population who is 60 and above, it’s not recommended to supplement with them to prevent fractures and falls.”

In addition to strengthening bones, vitamin D and calcium are necessary for muscle and brain function. Doctors generally recommend that people obtain them through food rather than supplements, but supplements may be an option for people who don’t get enough of the nutrients from food. Per Bawer, these groups include:

• People with osteoporosis, a disease that develops when bone mineral density and mass decreases
• Those who have issues absorbing some nutrients
• People whose diets are low in calcium
• People who don’t spend any time outdoors or limited time outside
• People with hyperparathyroidism, inflammatory bowel diseases, or celiac disease

“Early studies in patients who had vitamin D deficiency and low intakes of calcium show a beneficial effect of supplementation,” Sue Shapses, PhD, RD, a vitamin D researcher and professor of nutritional sciences at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, told Health.

Doctors said there are a few ways to lower the risk of fractures and falls with age.

• Take routine walks. “I tell people to walk more,” Segil said. Not only does this help build up muscle and bone strength, but it can also help with balance.
• Do strength training. Weight-bearing exercises can help build up bone strength, Segil said. “I would advise people to do weight-bearing exercises over taking a vitamin any day of the week,” he added.
• Try balance exercises. “Doing balance exercises like tai-chi, Pilates, and yoga can help as well,” Bawer said.
• Look at your medications. People with osteoporosis can take medications like bisphosphonates to lower the risk of fractures, Shapses said.
• Ramp up protein intake. On the dietary front, having plenty of protein may also help lower the risk of fractures and falls, Shapses said.
• Stay on top of your eye health. Bawer suggests getting annual eye exams and wearing necessary visual tools like glasses and contacts.
• Get plenty of sleep. “Get enough sleep because as people are more tired, their risk of falls increases and therefore fractures,” Bawer said.
• Tidy up your home. Decluttering your environment to reduce trip hazards is crucial, too, Fudyma said.

Unfortunately, lowering the risk of fractures and falls in older adults isn’t as simple as taking a supplement. “For most people with adequate vitamin D and calcium levels, supplements don’t help prevent falls or fractures,” Shapses said. “Supplements are only helpful if you are deficient.”